Is Nike's new ad with Tiger too edgy?

Mar. 27, 2013
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Nike is causing a social media storm with its latest online ad showing a picture of Tiger Woods overlaid with a quote from him, "Winning takes care of everything." Woods has used the phrase with reporters since at least 2009 when they ask him about rankings. / AP

by Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY Sports

by Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, Nike took that sentiment to market, capitalizing on Woods' return to No. 1 in the world ranking for the first time in 29 months. The past two weeks have delivered a series of positive headlines for Woods, who has established himself again as the favorite to win the April 11-14 Masters and publicly revealed his relationship with skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn.

But the typically provocative Nike ad, posted on Facebook and Twitter, also served as a reminder of the baggage he has carried since a very public divorce that followed his infidelities exposed in 2009.

"This is another case of Nike being Nike," Los Angeles-based sports marketing consultant David Carter says. "The tagline will reinforce both people who support Tiger or are put off by him. For some people, this will be seen as another case of an athlete who doesn't understand how a big part of society views what he's done."

Nike says the line just tries to explain that winning is a way to climb golf's rankings. "Tiger has always said he competes to win," Nike spokeswoman Beth Gast said in a statement. "When asked about about his goals such as getting back to No. 1, he has said consistently winning is the way to get there."

Consumer polling from the Dallas-based Marketing Arm research firm suggests Woods has a ways to go to rehab his public image. In polling taken March 21, the firm found consumers see his truthfulness ranked No. 2,735 among about 3,000 celebs the firm checks on - about the same trust the public has in Mike Tyson, Kim Kardashian and Ozzy Osbourne.

"What strikes me about the idea that while winning may take care of everything, maybe that's not true for everybody," said Bill Glenn, senior vice president of the Marketing Arm. "He could win every tournament for the rest of his career, but there are going to be people who'll never forgive him. There's that adage that winning may be everything, but for Tiger it might not be the only thing."

When it comes to how much Woods appeals to the public, he's ranked No. 2,707 â?? on par with Mel Gibson, Barry Bonds, Simon Cowell and Manti Te'O.

"This ad is certainly very Nike," says Paul Swangard, who oversees sports marketing studies at the University of Oregon. "Things are falling together, and he has new stability off the course. But some have still written him off as yesterday's hero."